A Dirty Dozen with ABBY K – June 2021

According to a recent press release: “Bassist, vocalist ABBY K released her new single “Dodging A Bullet (I Swear)” to all major platforms via The Label Group/Ingrooves. “Dodging A Bullet (I Swear) has had the wildest journey out of any song I have written so far. We went into the studio without ever playing together in the same room. The chemistry was indescribable and we came out of the studio with a completely different song!” says Abby K. Abby K is a bassist, vocalist, and songwriter from Charlotte, North Carolina. She picked up the bass at age 13 after being influenced by Gene Simmons at a KISS Concert. Months into her musical journey, she was 1 of 3 bassists in the United States selected to attend GRAMMY Camp in Los Angeles, CA. She claims that her proudest moment was when Nita Strauss joined her onstage to perform Iron Maiden’s “The Trooper”. Since then, she has developed her own style of musicianship which is commonly described as the love child of Steve Harris (Iron Maiden) and Lita Ford.” We get the band to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Diego Vargas: With this one we wanted to make it a more straightforward, in your face, plenty of attitude rock song. We didn’t really do much with putting in hidden Easter eggs for people to find, but that’s a concept I’d LOVE to explore in future releases.

Crispy Borell: Our latest release “Dodging A Bullet (I Swear)” is actually the very first song we recorded in the same room. Our last single “Pay Attention” was recorded entirely at our homes in 3 different states, so this one is the first time the Abby K band collaborated properly in the studio.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

Abby K: I got into music when I was 5 because I didn’t know how to take the Iron Maiden and KISS off my iPod that my dad kept putting on! I went to my first concert at age 12 to see KISS and I was completely hooked.

Diego: I was just on YouTube one day when I was 9 and on the side bar I saw the music video for Welcome to the Jungle. As soon as I clicked I knew I had to pick up the guitar and make it my life.

Crispy: I’ve loved singing and performing for people ever since I was a little kid, and I’ve always loved rock music, so it was kinda just a natural fit. From the moment I picked up a guitar at 8 years old, I knew it was all I wanted to do.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

Abby: Definitely Gene Simmons in the beginning. Now it has shifted towards Iron Maiden, and females in music like Lzzy Hale and Nita Strauss.

Diego: One of the most influential live shows was seeing Rush on the R40 tour. It opened my eyes to what could be done with music, and to not be afraid to take creative risks, even if people say it’ll never work.

4. Who would be your main five musical influences?

Crispy: Only 5? Hmm…Zakk Wylde, Motley Crue, Myles Kennedy, Richie Kotzen and Ben Weinman, but the list goes on.

Abby: As a bassist, Steve Harris, Geezer Butler, Geddy Lee, Lemmy, Gene Simmons. As a singer, Lzzy Hale, Ash Costello, Diamante, Bruce Dickinson, Dio.

5.      If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Crispy: Musician: Zakk Wylde. Producer: Bob Rock.

Abby: That’s such a hard question! I think I would have to say either Lita Ford or Dee Snider.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

Abby: Before Crispy joined the band, he described me as the lovechild of Lita Ford and Steve Harris and since then, I have always described my music like that!

7. What’s the best thing about being a musician?

Abby: Nobody feels things like a musician feels things. You have to be so vulnerable when you put yourself and your heart out there for people to rip apart. This is a big part of songwriting for me.

Diego: The best thing about being a musician is the sense of community. Growing up I never really fit into any group, but a whole new world opened up as soon as I became a musician spanning across the globe!

8. When the band are all hanging out together, who cooks; who gets the drinks in; and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Diego: When we’re hanging out I tend to be the responsible one, so that means I’ll be the one gladly cooking lol. And when it comes to whipping out the acoustic, that’s all Abby!

Abby: I feel like I’m the most responsible one in the group. I like to say that I’m not bossy, I just have leadership skills and know how to get things done, haha! Diego and Crispy never put the guitars down and are always riffing off of each other so I’m the one that has to get other things done!

Crispy: Diego is definitely the cook. Abby grabs the acoustic guitar.

9. When was the last time you were star struck and who was it?

Abby: Meeting Lzzy Hale at the She Rocks Awards at NAMM. I bawled right in front of her. It was embarrassing, but I hope she knew how much that moment meant to me in my career.

10. If you weren’t a musician, what would be your dream job?

Crispy: Music producer for sure.

Abby: I have always wanted to be a pilot or an astronaut.

Diego: If I wasn’t a musician, my dream job would be anything where I can be a visual storyteller. Whether it be a cinematographer, writer, director, pretty much anything involved in the process of making films or tv.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over”, even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Diego: The one thing I would do over in my career is how I spent my time in High School pursuing music. I was so afraid of rejection and let my insecurities control me that I never really took the risk to put myself out there up until a couple of years ago. Better late than never I suppose.

Abby: Everyone makes mistakes. I have gone through things that weren’t easy. Not everyone is easy to work with either. I’m actually thankful for those tough times and relationships. If I never messed up, I would have never learned what not to do and what kind of people to stay away from.

12.  If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Diego: I would have loved to have been present for the recording of Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory by Dream Theater. That album absolutely changed my life and the way I looked at what can be done with guitar in my music.

Crispy: Metallica’s Black Album because that is one of the greatest albums of all time.

ABBY K LINKS:

OFFICIAL SITE

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

Category: Interviews